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Media Release - Minister's Office Sydney: 26 October 2004 BACK TO BASIX - WATER, ENERGY SAVINGS TO APPLY TO APARTMENTS FROM EARLY NEXT YEAR NSW Minister for Infrastructure, Planning & Natural Resources, Craig Knowles, today said that the Government’s initiative to reduce water and energy use in new homes was now being planned for introduction in new apartment blocks and other multi-unit residential developments.
“Already over 2,600 BASIX certificates have been issued for planned homes, ensuring they will meet our water reduction target of 40 per cent and energy reduction target of 25 per cent.
“We are now moving on to the next phase of the program with the guidelines for BASIX for multi-unit developments – including high-rise, mid-rise, low-rise,– now on display,” said Mr Knowles.
“Multi-unit residential developments make up 70% of new housing construction in Sydney, it is vital to ensure these developments are designed to be energy and water efficient,” said Mr Knowles.
“NSW will be the first state in Australia to require multi-unit developments to meet stringent water and energy reduction targets when BASIX requirements come into effect in Sydney from 1 February 2004,” Minister Knowles said.
The BASIX program was introduced in July this year as part of the NSW Government’s plans to reduce water and energy use in all new constructions. By using an interactive internet program, home builders can measure the ‘built in’ water and energy saving aspects of their new home, with a BASIX certificate issued immediately for plans which meet the conservation targets. The certificate is then required as part of the building approval process.
“The population of NSW is growing, particularly in Sydney which is expanding by around a thousand people every week.
“This growth, coupled with the fact that fewer people are living in each home despite those homes growing in size, means our demands on energy and water need to be controlled.
“The measures required to get a BASIX certificate mean that those controls are built in to the structure itself, rather than just relying on people changing their behaviour or practices.
“Over the next ten years, the full introduction of BASIX is expected to save:
- 287 billion litres of water – the equivalent of 15 per cent of a full Warragamba Dam and; - 9.5 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions – the equivalent of taking 2.6 million cars off the road.
“Changes to building design and technologies will also save residents between $300 and $600 a year on energy and water costs. ”
“The introduction of BASIX is being phased in to ensure the building and manufacturing industries have time to adjust appropriately, and to ensure that the program is being calibrated to meet the particular requirements of each step.
“The closing date for comments on the multi-unit residential dwelling guidelines is November 12 with the introduction of those requirements planned for February next year,” said Mr Knowles.
“The guidelines will require developers to look at making apartments more water and energy efficient through simple measures such as:
- installing gas boosted or solar hot water systems; - more lighting controls in common areas; - ventilation controls in car parks; - recycling of wastewater for toilet flushing, laundry and landscaping and; - installing pool covers and pool pump timers.
Mr Knowles said that further extensions to the BASIX program would include:
- from October 2005 application of BASIX to alterations and additions to all homes (with BASIX measured only on the part of the home being added or altered); - a phasing in of the program across the whole of NSW from July 2005 (currently BASIX is required only in the Sydney region); - an expansion of the program to apply to subdivisions and neighbourhoods.
The Government has also announced that from July 2007 all homes sold will have to show proof of being either BASIX compliant, or having water efficiency measures installed under the Sydney Water Retrofit program.
“This Government is committed not just to supplying more water for our growing population, but to working with industry and the community to use our precious natural resources more wisely.
“The BASIX program is a key element in that commitment and we are extremely pleased that the building industry and home builders are adapting to these measures so positively,” said Mr Knowles.
© NSW Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources
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